Flap Jack Cafe

Late Nights and Classic Cars at the Flap Jack CaféBy Kristi Kates Residents of Petoskey and summer visitors probably remember the Flap JackShacks, which opened in Traverse City back in the late 60s and inPetoskey around 1978. The Petoskey Flap Jack Shack relocated to itscurrent location on Mitchell Street in 1985, and was run by the Benderfamily until Scott Gibson of Gibson Enterprises acquired the restaurant inJune of 2007.Exit Flap Jack Shack, and enter the Flap Jack Cafè - Gibsons way to keepthe Ma and Pops tradition of the Flap Jack Shack, as he puts it, whilemoving it into a more present-day version.I jumped at the chance of keeping a Petoskey landmark open and familyowned, Gibson explains.Having grown up frequenting the old Flap Jack Shack, Gibson says that healso wanted to keep the home-style recipes and service that he grew uploving, and pass them on to future generations

FRIENDLY AND FAIRGibson, who currently acts as general manager of the Cafè, says that hisgoal is to combine friendly service with fair prices, all while retainingthose homemade style foods.Our menu is quite eclectic, Gibson says, not only do we have a broadbreakfast selection thats served all day, we also offer soups, salads,lunches, and dinner selections - and Petoskey locals will attest to ourgreat, flame-fired burger choices.Prepared fresh and in-house, many of the recipes actually date back to theoriginal Flap Jack Shack, and are as varied as the restaurantswide-ranging clientele.From the relaxing traveler to the busy nurse on her way to NMH, there isnot anyone we know that does not enjoy a home-cooked meal, at a fairprice, delivered with a smile, Gibson says, we are a family restaurant,and most everyone is comfortable stopping in for a bite to eat. We alsooffer free Wi-Fi and our famous bottomless cup of coffee, for the studentor business person needing to fuel up while working on that big project.

LATE NIGHTS Another distinction of the Flap Jack Cafè is that its Petoskeys onlyreal 24-hour restaurant - at least part of the week - something thatsvery unusual in the Northern Michigan area.Knowing how it is to get that late night craving and being a long timePetoskey resident, I had been aware for a while that Petoskey needed a24-hour restaurant, Gibson explains. With the hospital being just a fewdoors south of us, among other patrons in the community, we decided thatwe would give it a shot and see if there were as many late night hungrypeople as we thought there were. Sure enough, before even havingadvertised it too much, its been a success from day one. The clienteleovernight is varied from nurses and doctors to skiers; the late night crewhas a good time, as do the customers, and it has become a business ontoitself. Currently, we are only 24 hours on Friday and Saturday nights,but we plan on testing other nights to see if the demand is there too.

BREAKFAST TO DESSERTWith a view of the bay from their windows, and a smoke-free dining roomthat was remodeled in 2008, Flap Jack Cafe offers a bright, unobtrusivedecor, as Gibson puts it.Designed to be inviting and relaxing, our dining room makes even the mostwary feel at ease, he says, combine that with our friendly waitstaff,and you are bound to have a great meal.Given the name, of course, the Flap Jack Cafè is perhaps best known in thearea for their buttermilk pancakes, which Gibson says are made with realbuttermilk from scratch. Other breakfast choices include a SkilletBreakfast (hashbrowns, ground sausage, onion, and cheese with choice ofeggs) and Eggs Benedict with homemade Hollandaise sauce.Flap Jack Cafès dinners (one of Petoskeys best-kept secrets, Gibsonsays) include a Friday Night Fish Fry (cod, perch, or smelt for $10.99)and Saturday Night Baby Back Ribs ($12.99.)A new ice creme parlor in the summer brings even more options to the FlapJack Cafè, where Gibson says theyll be offering sundaes, shakes, floats,banana splits, Avalanches (soft serve ice creme with toppings mixed in),soft serve flavors, and ice cremes by Hudsonville.Summer also brings nice weather, so that our many patrons can dust offtheir unique vehicles to cruise into the Flap Jack Cafè, Gibson says,for our Meet Me at the Flap Cruise Nights, you can stop in for dinneror ice creme to see cool vehicles - Monday night is 4x4 trucks, Tuesday isMotorcycles, Wednesday is Hot Rods, and Thursday is Classic Cars. We havea great time looking, visiting, and eating our ice creme just like the olddays - complete with our walk-up ice creme window.

Flap Jack Cafè is located at 314 West Mitchell Street, just outside ofdowntown Petoskey, telephone 231-347-1260; theyre also online atwww.flapjackcafe.com.